Engaging Disabled Citizen

1
Engaging Disabled Citizens

• Anne James
• Equalities Officer (Disability)
• Bristol City Council
• www.bristol-city.gov.uk ( equalities and social
  inclusion team)

2
Disability equality approach

• Commitment to social model since 1995
• Disabled people with a knowledge of disability
  equality issues into policy positions in every
  department.

• Ongoing participation of Disabled People
• Disability Equality Forum (1996)
• Disabled employees group (1998)
• Bristol Physical Access Chain (2000)
• Deaf BSL Forum (2003)
• Active Disabled peoples community sector.

3
Disabled staff leading the way

• An Inclusion Co-ordinator in education
• An equalities officer and secondee in housing
• 3 disability equality partnership co-ordinators
  in social services
• A senior disability equality in youth work
  manager
• Inclusion Team in Regeneration

• Equalities officer
• A Deaf peoples communication worker to work
  with the Sign Community,
• An in-house BSL interpreter
• A Strategic Access Officer to work on
  environmental access
• A Disability Equality Forum development worker

4
Positive Duty to promote disability equality

• Eliminate unlawful disability discrimination
• Promote equal opportunities
• Specific duties in areas of policy making,
  service delivery and employment
• Publish a Disability Equality Scheme in
  consultation with disabled people
• Monitor employment training, performance
  management, grievances, disciplinary action and
  ending employment

5
Involving Disabled People

• NR research 2004 (400) and 2005 (135)
• DDA 1995 Audit 126 Questionnaires
• Citizens Jury 246 Disabled adults
• ECM 77 Disabled children and young people
• Citizens Panel Satisfaction Survey (234/1210)
• Staff Satisfaction Survey (249 Disabled staff)
• Annual progress against BSL Charter
• 1 221 Disabled people involved to date!

6
Using Secondary Research

• Employee monitoring information disabled staff
  by department and by grade, recruitment
• Departmental Performance Indicators 28 relating
  to disabled people
• PLASC database re achievement of Disabled children

• Partnership Against Harassment of Disabled People
  
• 2001-4
• Disabled people and Housing Seminar 2004
• 2006 DRC (ODPM) 150 LAs arrangements for
  progressing Disability Equality

7
NRF Community Consultation One to One
interviews Good for statistical information

• 2005 Disabled researcher 135 disabled people,
  56 carers,18 local businesses, 30 local service
  providers
• 20 disabled people pay for health treatment, 40
  pay for care
• Only 20 disabled people knew their rights under
  the DDA
• 50 disabled people, 75 families sometimes felt
  isolated
• Over 50 housing not suitable, 37 could not
  afford to make adaptations

• 2003/2004
• 10 area profiles,400 people,2 local disability
  equality forums
• Employment most important 75
• Harassment 67
• Different priorities in different areas?
• www.bristolforward.net

8
DDA Audit and Using the Citizens Panel

• DDA Audit
• 126 questionnaires returned
• 50 reported accessible interviews, 50 reported
  inaccessible interviews
• 19 people found council buildings inaccessible,
  79 reported good access.
• Policies and procedures are in place but not
  implemented consistently

• Citizens Panel
• 234 Disabled people out of 1210 responses
• No difference in satisfaction of Disabled people.
• Comments were not disability specific
• General surveys will not identify gaps or
  discrimination
• Need to use focus groups

9
Citizens Jury 246 Disabled people

• Physical access
• Adaptations
• Attitudes
• Crime and harassment
• Education
• Employment
• Leisure
• Health
• Housing
• Information
• Parking and pavements
• Support
• Transport

• 6 open meetings 30 people.
• 8 school meetings
• mainstream special
• schools 77 children
• 17 groups of disabled people 250 people
• Facilitated groups disability specific
  responses
• helped us to identify main themes or priorities

10
Deaf BSL users BDA Award 2005

• Low knowledge base/exclusion 15 BSL video clips
  on website
• Language barrier so not attend generic meetings
• Survey of BSL skills through pay packet survey
• 2005 80 staff on 1 yr BSL course
• Developing textbox/video conferencing in customer
  care helpdesk

• Deaf Equality Officer
• Inhouse BSL Interpreter
• Deaf IT consultant
• Focus on implementing the BSL charter
• Set up BSL forum
• Bristol University

11
Disabled Equality and employment

• Select Committee on Employment of Disabled People
• Active Disabled Employees Group
• Support time at DEG meetings
• Case work by Disabled staff
• Good stats long way to go

• ODPM Research areas for improvement
• Review grievances and disciplinaries policy
• Departmental Employment Initiatives
• Mandatory Disability Equality Training (63 staff
  are required to attend, 33 members are required
  to attend)

12
Lessons learnt

• Generic surveys are not very useful. Hold focus
  groups.
• Networking and outreach to find disabled people
  for focus groups
• Allocate time
• Need at least 2 people to facilitate and record
• Skills to collate enormous number of responses
• Need names and addresses and time to respond to
  complaints
• Fill gaps BME, LGB
• Compare to other cities ( ODPM very helpful)

13
Consultation to Participation

• DES 40 target action plan agreed by senior
  managers June 06
• Invite all disabled people involved in research
  July 2006 Request disabled people to be
  involved with departments in developing and
  monitoring action plans.
• Citizens jury of Disabled people or departmental
  forums or ???. Ensure departments can
  resource/support if needed
• Upskill disabled people in how the council works,
  PEST analysis, Challenges September 06
• Media and poster campaign December 06